[The blood glutathione system in cerebral vascular diseases and its treatment with alpha-lipoic acid].

The changes of glutathione metabolism are rare in dyscirculatory encephalopathy and ischemic stroke (IS) of mild severity. The frequent and considerable changes have been revealed in IS of moderate and high severity as well as in hemorrhagic stroke. An increase of activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase is the most typical. The increase of enzyme activity was not observed at the beginning of treatment after 3 days and in patients with severe degree of disease who died later. A standard therapy decreased the quantity and/or expression of changes of the glutathione metabolism in patients with IS of moderate and high severity while the addition of alpha-lipoic acid (alpha-LA) led to the complete normalization in IS of moderate severity and normalization of most parameters in IS of high severity. The increase of functional activity of the glutathione system at the early stage of treatment of IS and the favorable changes during the treatment, in particular after the addition of alpha-LA, were correlated with the improvement of neurological status assessed with the NIHSS. It has been confirmed that the glutathione system plays an important role in the tolerance to brain ischemia.

[Glutathione system in erythrocytes and blood plasma in strokes and dyscirculatory encephalopathy].

In dyscirculatory encephalopathy and moderate ischemic stroke there are single changes of components of glutathione metabolism. In moderate and severe ischemic stroke frequent and considerable changes have been revealed. Changes in hemorrhagic stroke are also expressed. An increase of activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase is the most typical, rarely the increase of glutathione reductase and GSH is observed. The increase of enzymes activity was absent at the delayed oneset of treatment (more than 3 days) and in severe cases patients who died later. Glutathione system is important in the tolerance to cerebral ischemia.

[Effect of insulin and adrenaline on the activity of enzymes of glutathione metabolism and glutathione concentration in rat organs]. / Vliianie insulina i adrenalina na aktivnost' fermentov metabolizma glutationa i ego kontsentratsiiu v organakh krys.

Adrenaline activates glutathione peroxidase in the heart, liver, and kidneys and glutathione transferase in the heart and liver, inhibits gamma-glutamyl transferase in the kidneys, and has no effect on glutathione reductase; no changes in the brain detected. Insulin does not influence glutathione reductase either, nor does it induce any changes in the heart, liver, and bone marrow, but it alters (as a rule reduces) in a number of cases the activities of many glutathione metabolism enzymes and reduces glutathione concentration in the brain, kidneys, and spleen both an hour and 24 h after injection. The detected changes do not conform to universally acknowledged classification of the organs by insulin sensitivity and do not correlate with hypoglycemia.